A long-time member of Postecoglou’s Australia squad before the 54-year-old parachuted into the J.League in 2018, Nagoya Grampus keeper Langerak has felt the full force of ‘Ange-ball’ as an opposing player this season, watching at close quarters the man he used to call boss light up the competition.
With Marinos needing to avoid a 4-0 defeat at home against nearest rivals FC Tokyo on Saturday to be sure of their first title since 2004, Langerak lifted the veil ever so slightly on how Postecoglou has turned a side which flirted with relegation in his debut season into champions elect.
“They’ve been exceptional this year,” he said. “Early on in the season we played them away from home and we got a 1-1 draw but you could see even then the foundations were being put in place by Ange.
“They gave us a 5-1 toweling later in the season - and it was obvious for all to see the stamp Ange had put on the team.
“Most sides in Japan try and play out from the back - there’s quite a bit of high-risk football going on. But Yokohama take it to the next level.
“They move the ball around quickly, they’re dynamic all over the park and up front they’re even faster. It’s like lightning.
“It’s actually pretty funny because so many things his Yokohama team do I can see them happening before they’ve even happened because I know from our time together with the national team how Ange likes his teams to react in certain situations ... like getting the ball quickly back into play.
“It’s all sorts of small things that add up over the course of a match.”
Driven, occasionally terse and not exactly a devotee of frivolous chit-chat, Langerak offered an insight into Ange the man-manager, whose messages are relied to players via interpreters.
“His style (of management) suits Japan because the players always listen attentively to what the coaches say and try and execute his plan,” added Langerak.
“Ange has always been big on players doing the right thing and pulling in the same direction.”
With his natural reticence to engage players in deep discourse, the language barrier in Japan may have come as something of a blessing for Postecoglou.
“To be honest, I don’t know many of Ange’s players who’ve ever had a decent conversation with him, I know I never did,” said Langerak.
“But, at the same time, we had a very good relationship and I enjoyed being involved with the national team when he was in charge.
“I don’t think any of us were searching for a good conversation with him and maybe that was a good thing, I think!
“He’s very driven and results orientated and always has that winning mentality about him.”
Asked if he thought Postecoglou might one day graduate to one of Europe’s big five leagues, Langerak - who worked under the talismanic Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund - was in the affirmative.
“In my opinion, why can’t he coach in Europe?" he said. “He’s had success wherever he’s gone and, while I can’t speak for him, maybe he sees Europe as the next step.
“It’s never easy because as Australians we don’t have that reputation in world football where people look at our players and coaches and say ‘right we’re going to sign him because he’s from Australia’.
“Our whole lives we’ve been punching above our weight and have to get used to being to being the underdog.
“I think Ange would embrace the challenge of proving himself in Europe.”
With just one last lunge needed to cross the tape, Langerak doesn’t see Ange falling short.
“The title is 99 per cent theirs and I’m confident they will probably finish the job off in style on Saturday,” he predicted.
“If it’s not going to be Nagoya (who finished 12th) winning it and I’m so happy for Ange and his team to be where they are.
“Producing that consistency in Japan is hard because everybody’s taking points off each other and that’s where Yokohama have done really well to stand out above the rest.”
